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The Ransomware Economy

How and Why the Dark Web Marketplace for Ransomware Is Growing at a Rate of More Than 2,500% Per Year

October 16, 2017

CryptoLocker. GoldenEye. Locky. WannaCry. It’s no secret that 2017 is shaping up to be the most notorious year on record for ransomware. Even a casual news consumer can identify several, if not all, of the menacing ransomware attacks that have cost worldwide businesses an estimated $1 billion this year.

With ransomware illuminated in the cybersecurity spotlight, Carbon Black’s Threat Analysis Unit (TAU) leveraged its own intelligence network to investigate the deepest, darkest portions on the web, where ransomware is currently being created, bought, and sold in burgeoning underground economies.

Our research found that, from 2016 to 2017, there has been a 2,502% increase in the sale of ransomware on the dark web. This increase is largely due to a simple economic principle - supply and demand. Cybercriminals are increasingly seeing opportunities to enter the market and looking to make a quick buck via one of the many ransomware offerings available via illicit economies. In addition, a basic appeal of ransomware is simple: it’s turnkey. Unlike many other forms of cyberattacks, ransomware can be quickly and brainlessly deployed with a high probability of profit.

To learn more about the Ransomware economy check out the report below.